Wood is a versatile material which can be used in various industries. Due to its wide range of applications, it is important to ensure its longevity and/or durability and thus, it must be protected. Research into wood preservation and wood preservatives are documented in the prior art. The aim of improving the resistance of wood to environmental hazards, such as, fungal and insect attack, led to the development of preservatives incorporating additives including but not limited to; chromate compounds, quaternary ammonium compounds and copper.
Works relating to wood preservatives in the prior art include Seifen-Öle-Fette-Wachse 109, vol. no. 20, 1983, pages 603 to 606. This document disclosed the use of quaternary ammonium compounds in water-soluble and solvent-containing wood preservatives. Another document is DE-A Nos. 3,502,939, 3,621,360 or 3,718,012 which further disclosed that by combining quaternary ammonium compounds with other organic or inorganic compounds, an increase in protection by the wood preservative was possible. DE-C-34 47 027 disclosed wood preservatives based on copper, boron, alkanol amines and quaternary ammonium salts. A further document, DE-A-42 28 352 disclosed copper salts, alcohol amines and polymeric quaternary ammonium borates